In honor of Who's Who Wednesday writer Erik
Anderson, this week's Thursday Treasures will focus on Erik's
favorite Marvel superhero: the Hulk. In the Marvel universe, few
characters have had as many incarnations as this behemoth. Created
by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962, the raging green beast
(originally gray in his debut) has been portrayed on television, in
animation, and on the big screen. We'll be taking a look at his
journey in the latter part which consists of Hulk (2003),
The Incredible Hulk (2008), and The Avengers (2012).

Hulk (2003)

After the success of X-Men (2000) and
especially Spider-Man (2002), the superhero genre was deemed
officially alive again. Marvel started going through its vast array
of characters in search of potential film franchises. At the time,
the Hulk was the most recognizable Marvel character after Spider-Man
and Wolverine, so it was only natural that he would be selected. Not
so natural was the choice to hire director Ang Lee, known more for
pensive dramas than anything else. As such, of the three different
cinematic Hulks, his is the most contemplative version, delving into
the psychology of Bruce Banner's newfound dual nature. In accordance
with this, actor Eric Bana plays the character as very reserved,
someone who doesn't emote very much whether it be positively or
negatively. He's a blank slate, and the Hulk he turns into resents
him for it. Thus, this film probably bests highlights the Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde aspect of the character.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Ang Lee's Hulk did decently in terms of box
office receipts, but due to both the nature of its budget and
Marvel's expectations, it was considered a disappointment. By 2008,
Marvel began producing its own films starting with Iron Man.
The Incredible Hulk, directed by Louis Leterrier, was the
second in a proposed Marvel Cinematic Universe, a franchise of films
all meant to co-exist in the same world and cross reference each
other just like the comics. Concerned over criticisms that the 2003
picture was too slow and meditative, they took a proposed screenplay
meant to be a direct sequel to that film and reformed it into a
reboot. This new Hulk was essentially a chase film akin to
the Jason Bourne series. Bruce, as played by Edward Norton who also
did uncredited work on the revised screenplay, is someone constantly
on the run from the government. The Hulk isn't a manifestation of
something deeply rooted inside of him all along like in Lee's. It's
some foreign monster Bruce has no emotional or psychological
connection to, a disease he's desperate to be cured of.

The Avengers (2012)

The finale to Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, Joss Whedon's The Avengers brings together all of
the heroes whose origin stories we've experienced, including the
Hulk's. Unfortunately, Edward Norton and Marvel did not see eye to
eye on the final cut of The Incredible Hulk and parted ways,
resulting in a recast. His replacement, Mark Ruffalo, offers a
different angle to Bruce Banner from how Eric Bana and Edward Norton
approached it. Bana was quietly aloof, bewildered at the creature he
had become. Norton was distressed, determined to do anything he
could to rid himself of this unrecognizable symptom. Ruffalo's
interpretation is meant to be in the same continuity as Norton's,
but here, he plays Bruce as weary, someone who reluctantly accepts
his fate and does his best to live with the day-to-day burden.
Unlike the other two films, there's no Betty Ross here to calm him
down and tap into the man inside the beast. Bruce is instead forced
to access it himself with a bit of support from, surprisingly, Tony
Stark. In the end, the line between Bruce and the Hulk becomes more
blurred as he gains control of 'the other guy' and manages to help
save the day in the process.

With three different interpretations of the same
character, it's apparent that there's no real definitive way to
portray the Hulk. He can be a psychological character study, a
deeply conflicted and misunderstood creature, or a rousing
crowd-pleaser of a supporting player. No matter what approach films,
television shows, and comics take, one thing is for sure: it's not
easy being green.